Milwaukee Bucks at Miami Heat

Vincent leads Heat to 2nd straight win over Bucks

Victor Oladipo added 20 points and Jimmy Butler had 16 for the Heat. Miami won its second straight against the Bucks after a 108-102 home victory on Thursday.

Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo missed the two games against Miami because of left knee soreness.

The Heat also was short-handed as guards Tyler Herro (Achilles soreness) Kyle Lowry (knee discomfort) sat out.

“What I do commend and what you want out of a team is growing from your experiences, particularly if you have some tough times, adversity,” Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said. “The grit that we’re developing is that even when there are some uneven times during the course of a game, we understand that it’s a long game. You have to work the game. You try to wear on teams, particularly defensively.”

Vincent did the bulk of his scoring in the first half, when he had 21 points. Stepping in for Lowry, Vincent missed equaling his career high by one which he set in Thursday’s win over the Bucks.

“I think I was just in a rhythm and my guys did a really good job of getting me open,” said Vincent, who shot 11 for 14 from the field. “And I made some shots, which is helpful. I’m trying to stay aggressive. Just trying to impact any way I can.”

Oladipo did his damage in the second half with 14 points.

After the two-game sweep over the Bucks, the Heat has won six of eight.

“I feel like in this stretch, we’ve been enjoying basketball,” Adebayo said. “You see it on the court. We’re way more connected than we’ve been since the beginning of the season.”

Down eight at halftime, the Bucks cut it to 63-62 on Bobby Portis’ two free throws midway through the third quarter. The Heat responded with six straight points.

Adebayo’s two free throws with 7:13 in the fourth quarter capped a 13-0 run and pushed the Heat’s lead to 97-79.

All Bucks starters finished in double figures. Portis scored 15 points, Pat Connaughton had 14 points and Brook Lopez finished with 13, while Jrue Holiday and Grayson Allen had 12 points each.

“With Giannis out, he does so much for us,” Holiday said. “It is a little bit more of us being aggressive and getting to the paint and trying to finish. They did a great job of boxing out.”

Milwaukee finished 2-2 on its road trip.

“They worked the hot hand, whether it was Vincent in the first half or Oladipo in the second half,” Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said. “But really I think our offense is one that we have to score better.”

Vincent’s 3-pointer midway through the second quarter put Miami ahead 42-27. The Bucks closed the period on a 13-5 spurt and trailed 53-45 at halftime.

TIP-INS

Bucks: Lopez made three 3-pointers, extending his streak of multiple 3s to four games. ... G Khris Middleton (right knee soreness) responded well to 5-of-5 drills with the G League Wisconsin Herd. Middleton has been limited to seven games this season and last played Dec. 15.

Heat: C Dwayne Dedmon returned from a one-game suspension but did not play. The club imposed the suspension for conduct detrimental to the team following his actions in Miami’s game against Oklahoma City Tuesday. ... The Heat outscored the Bucks 54-26 in the paint.

DOUBLE DUTY

The Bucks completed their third and final set of consecutive games against the same opponent. Meanwhile, the Heat’s schedule features eight of the two-game series with remaining consecutive contests against Philadelphia, Atlanta and Cleveland.

GROWING FAMILY

Herro and girlfriend Katya Elise Henry welcomed their second child on Thursday. Henry gave birth to a boy, whom the couple named Harlem. Herro and Henry also are the parents of daughter Zya born in 2021.

UP NEXT

Bucks: Host Indiana on Monday.

Heat: Visit Atlanta on Monday.

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Regular Season Series

MIA leads series 2-0